Covers for spas, or so-called “hot tubs” have been utilized for decades. These covers are often employed in cooler climates to minimize the escape of heat energy from the spa. Further, they are often employed to cover the spa to prevent unauthorized access, or to prevent debris, such as dust, leaves, insects and the like from being deposited in the hot tub.
Heretofore, spa covers having two portions have usually been fabricated from rigid, lightweight insulative sheets which have been typically enclosed in a flexible synthetic sheet or envelope. The two portions are typically joined together by a hinge. In most covers, the hinge is formed by a seam of flexible material which bridges between the two halves or portions. It has been common practice to remove such prior spa covers by swinging or moving one-half of the cover onto the remaining cover half, and then lifting both halves from the spa. As described in various prior art references, this task of removing a spa cover has often been difficult because of the awkwardness of the spa cover construction, and further due to the weight of the spa covers as these same spa covers have become heavier, over time, due to the absorption of water because of their proximity to the underlying spa, or because water is absorbed from the ambient environment.
Spa owners have long understood that spa covers having the prior art construction must be periodically replaced because such spa covers become water logged, and thereafter become too difficult to handle. Further these water-logged spa covers encourage the growth of mold, mildew and other undesirable organisms.
In addition to the foregoing, the prior art spa covers often deteriorate, over time, in view of the fact that they are often directly exposed to the immediate environment. Therefore sunlight and other environmental conditions rapidly deteriorate or weaken the construction of the spa covers such that they must be periodically replaced, for example, every three to five years. Because these prior art spa covers are replaced on a rather frequent basis, the manufacturers of same have endeavored to keep the cost of manufacturing such covers to a minimum. However, the motivation to keep the price point of such products at a level that encourages the periodic purchase by a spa owner does not motivate the manufacturers to use high quality materials which will resist the aforementioned environmental degradation, or the absorption of water which is occasioned by the proximity of the spa cover to the underlying heated water enclosed within the spa.
In addition to the shortcomings noted above, and in some colder climates, and especially where spas are maintained in outside, uncovered areas, difficulties result from a spa owner having to remove, for example snow, from the top of the spa following a snowstorm. In some cases, spas are quite large and to remove snow effectively from such spa covers requires that the spa owner elevate themselves to a position where they can reach regions of the spa cover outside of their normal arm's length. Such removal of snow is often quite difficult, and in view of the construction of the prior art spa covers used heretofore, such spa covers will occasionally not support both the weight of a normal person, and the load of snow such that all regions of the spa cover can be effectively cleared of snow.
A spa cover which addresses these other shortcomings associated with the prior art spa covers which were utilized, heretofore, is the subject matter of the present patent application.